GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council is running events for people to have their say on the proposed M5 Junction 10 improvements scheme.

The proposed improvements - set to cost around £249 million - feature a new road linking Junction 10 to west Cheltenham and the widening of the A4019 Tewkesbury Road.

The council is currently running a statutory public consultation, in order to gather feedback to help refine its final scheme design.

As part of this, two virtual events will take place this week and next week and people are encouraged to join and share their views.

Members of the project team will be online on Saturday 29 January 2pm – 3.30pm and Wednesday 2 February 7pm – 8.30pm to share the proposed scheme designs and answer questions.

To join the virtual events, view the proposals and to complete the council’s online survey, visit: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/J10

The consultation ends on 15 February.

Councillor David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning, said: “We’re keen to hear from anyone who lives close to M5 Junction 10 and the A4019 Tewkesbury Road, or uses these routes for commuting, business or leisure. We also want the views of people who travel these roads using different means of transport – whether that’s by car, van, HGV, motorcycle, cycle, bus, coach or by foot.”

Due to the scale and nature of the scheme, it has been categorised as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008. This means the council must submit an application for a Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate, in order to obtain planning permission to construct the scheme.

The scheme will be funded through the council’s successful bid to the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), for £249m for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme. Work has been ongoing since the funding announcement to produce a preferred layout.

In addition, National Highways has also identified that significant growth planned for this area would require improvements to M5 Junction 10 to maintain the safe and efficient operation of the M5 corridor.

Hannah Sanderson, programme manager for National Highways, said: “We are delighted to see the proposed M5 Junction 10 improvements progressing and are encouraging everyone to have their say on the design. The scheme will help ease congestion and improve the gateway into the South West, while also unlocking wider economic benefits to both local communities and the region as a whole."

Paper copies of the plans are available from Cheltenham Library and Tewkesbury Library or can be requested by emailing M5Junction10@atkinsglobal.com